Prized Possessions
by DazzlingSince1901
Summary: The Volturi decide that they need Bella's gift in their guard, but the measures they take to convince her are drastic. Edward is not able to help her. Someone totally new saves Bella and Edward in the end, but sacrifices herself. Intense.
1. Chapter 1

**I have been working, in my mind, on this totally new concept of an old family member. Her name is Clara but that is all i can say right now. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me if its a total bust. Sometimes that happens. Also be brutally honest. I can handle it.**

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**BPOV**

The plane was very uncomfortable. Though the private jet held no humans, the tense air in the room caused me to feel trapped like a coyote or a rat. Four of the Volturi guards surrounded me, adding to the feel of encasement. Felix, the one closest to me, could not stop smirking as I shifted in my seat. Three other large vampires, whose names I didn't know, kept their distance, their size reminding me of Emmet, though they looked nothing alike. The muscle triplets were unsure about my power, knowing I was strong if Aro sent them to transport me, but not knowing how strong. My finger tapped uneasily, Felix's grin growing wider.

The plane touched the ground, the movement jostling no one the way it would have for a commercial plane with humans. "Can I make a phone call?" I asked Felix, keeping my hopes low. He stared at me, thought about it, then handed me my cell phone, already dialing Edward's number.

I knew that this was not safe, going to Volterra alone, but Edward would never have let me come at all, and if I didn't go they would come for me. Edward had been gone for a week now. He said that he was in Chicago with some old friends. We had been talking (the number that he used sometimes unfamiliar) so i mentioned the trip to him, but not the location. His voice never matched the beautiful pictures he painted of him at Lake Michigan, humoring the locals by "enjoying" a deep dish pizza, and visiting his old house. He sounded off, forced.

I didn't dwell on it because Edward picked up on the first ring.

"Hello," he said. His voice sounded panicked, worried, the way it always was if I called him.

"Edward!" I couldn't hide the relief at hearing his voice.

"Bella," he said almost relieved, but not quite. "Bella are you alright?"

"I'm fine Edward, just getting off the plane. I stopped in New York but I am still going."

He swallowed loudly. "New York? so close." he said the last line as just a whisper, barely audible. No noise came from the background of his phone, though he claimed to be on the lake's shore all day because of the overcast weather.

"Edward?" I asked, unhappy about his nervousness. Something hushed came from the other line, menacing, but I couldn't make it out. I could hear the panicked whimper from my husbands lips at the unreasuring source.

"Bella I have to go. I'll see you...later." I was about to question him when I heard the dial tone. His hang-up was so abrupt, so sudden, so unlike him. I quickly closed my open, surprised mouth as Felix and his goon gave me a questioning look. I handed them my phone and reboarded the private jet for take off.

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**EPOV**

My phone was in my hand, closed. Bella's unsure voice still ringing in my head. I dry sobbed, small twists of pain and devastation piercing at me like an attack, an attack straight to my heart. A cold, papery skinned hand fell on my shoulder, though the action was not one of comfort, it was to keep contact. My breath was ragged, my insides distorted in pain and torment as I tearlessly exerted my pain and devastation. The hand, thin and withered, stroked my shoulder but in an effort to draw attention to his face.

I looked up to find red eyes clouded in milky films. They searched me, the hand resting on me remaining put in order to see my thoughts. His eyes bore hungrily into my own when flashes of Bella entered my mind.

"She's so close to us Edward. She's coming home," Aro said, menace lining his tongue.

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**I'm sorry that Aro is a little OOC. I have always though of him as a little evil. I also think that he might act like that if he REALLY wanted something or someone.**

**Review please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**BPOV**

If I was human my heart would have been pounding a mile a minute. The vast scenery of Volterra, though undeniably beautiful, was terrifying. The old memories of rushing through the country side at unbearable speeds, rushing to save the life of my bronze-haired god, were hard to shake off. The roomy car's black interior was giving my nauseous de ja vu, though the old memory was blurred through dimly light eyes. Felix drove at a speed familiar to vampires and to myself. I would have smiled at the small fact that they all had a "need for speed." Almost.

I couldn't deny the raw beauty, the attract to tourists. The rolling green hills framed the spacious skies perfectly, while sparotic clouds dotted the icy blue above. A few houses rolled with the hills, the angles they were placed looked uncomfortable even for a house. Some wild flowers encroached the grass, splattering the green in purples, yellows, and oranges.

The ride went quickly and the descent into the city, and then into the castle, was all to familiar. I could almost feel my Edward's, cold at the time, arm around my waist protectively, followed by similar company. I could almost hear the exasperated sighs from behind me and my slow, human pace.

I sucked in all these deathly fears and put on a brave face before the muscle goons could mock me more.

The nerve racking feeding room was even more menacing than before, perhaps because upon entrance I knew what it was used for rather than last time where I found out while exiting. Aro's face was also all too familiar and twisted into his smiles of welcome. I scanned the room, using my new eyes to take in the guard in their home state.

I saw Caius and Marcus one with a look of hatred and one with a look of boredom. I easily recognized the petite twins off in a corner, their light brown hair bobbing in its shortness. Jane's face was scowling, obviously not enjoying the ineffectiveness she had over the new guest. Alec's face was disturbed, less angry than Jane's but just as frustrated. Demetri, who had walked toward me, looked pleased with my turnout. He quickly shifted behind me and said, "Good to see you again Bella. You're looking refreshingly better." His hot breath caressed my bare neck, his voice giving my chills. I shivered at the unwelcome man and his unwelcome words. He smirked clearly pleased with the tenseness in my body at his presence. A faint snarl came from another room, but was quickly silenced. I didn't have time to register who had made the noise.

I also recognized some miscelanious members of the guard. Renata was close at Aro's heels as was Heidi. With my new eyes, I could see that whatever resemblance I gave to Heidi and Rosalie was manufactured by easily swayed eyes, weak eyes. They looked nothing alike except for their perfectly defined legs.

One more stood to the left and behind Aro, one I did not recognize. I saw a faint glimmer of shiny bronze/copper hair in her slight waves. She held her face down to the ground. She caught my stare by bringing her eyes up to mine. I gasped.

Her eyes were red like the others of the guard except hers had a tint of gold in them, like her previous diet consisted of animals. That was not what made me gasp. Her eyes were framed by a perfectly shaped and very familiar jaw line, one of a greek god. Her full lips were set in proportion to a nose that I knew in my sleep. Her copper/bronze hair shone like a star, flowing down to her shoulder blades. It was Edward's face copied into the face of a woman. My eyes bulged.

She showed no expression when she looked at me, and showed no expression when she looked away. Her eyes were dead, lacking the life of Edward.

Aro licked his lips. "Do you know Clara?" he asked, anticipation written in the faint linings of his words. Hope

I looked up to him and responded, "No."

"What a shame. Perhaps you could have told us what her power is," he said, want layering his tone. Confusion swept through me. Why did they have her if they didn't know what she could do? Why couldn't Aro just touch her to find out? Why did she look like Edward? Who was she?

"A shame indeed." I kept all confusion out of my voice. Aro sighed longingly.

"Then perhaps we should move on. Bella do you know why you are here?"

I expected this, the inquiries. Aro was being much more direct than usual. A little impatient. I didn't think someone who has lived as long as he has could be impatient. I swallowed and answered, "I believe I do."

"Lets hear it then."

"I am here to be offered a spot on your guard? I would have to refuse that offer, but am honored to be presented with such a spot."

My reply was answered with a few smirks and some giggling off to the side of the room, possibly from a short, raving mad Jane. Clara stood dead in her place. I was confused by their response, until Aro cleared his throat and spoke.

"No Bella. We are not _offering_ a spot to you. We are _forcing_ a spot on you."

**Please review and tell me if I have any mistakes. **


	3. Chapter 3

**BPOV**

_"No Bella. We are not __offering__ a spot to you. We are __forcing__ a spot on you."_

My breath caught. Force? This was not the way the Volturi were supposed to be. They were supposed to by protectors of the laws, the very simple laws, but not power hungry! Aro's eyes held no sign of wavering on his decision, no sign of a scam. They looked feral, hungry. He saw the fear and stubborn reluctance on my face. It seemed like he was going to be patient with me.

"There won't be a need for violence," he cringed slightly at the word violence. Though hungry for power, he still had a faint heart, "if you agree to the position now…"

I lifted my chin high, a sign Edward always saw as my stubbornness kicking in. The response in my body told Aro that he would not get a spoken answer from me. He took the response as I intended him to, with a longing sigh and unhappy mask for the forcefull violence to come. A small sigh of relief echoed from a distance, the same direction as the earlier snarl. I wondered but didn't have to wonder for long.

"Very well Bella. I see that we will need to sway you with different arguments. Edward…" I gasped. He continued, "would you join us." The three body guards that surrounded Edward's body showed me that it wasn't Edward's decision whether or not he would join us. The week spent away from him made it even harder to see his beautiful face. I would never get used to it, especially with my new vision. But **this** Edward would have been hard to look at for anyone.

Though I didn't think it was possible for a vampire, he had distinct marks up and down his bare back, which would have distracted me but his bare skin was so distorted. The marks looked like something from a whip, regardless of the fact that a whip can't break the rock hard skin of a vampire. There were so many bite marks along his neck and jaw and stomach that if I was human, I might have thrown up. When I came to his face, the marks were gone but new, emotional marks were there. His jaw was turned down into what looked like permanent sorrow. His eyes were the color of coal and the deep purple shadows below looked like they traveled for miles. Distress was all over his face, and if it was possible, he looked tired, drained of his energy. Distress was tihe wrong word but nothing could describe how strong his pain was at seeing me forced into a position in the Volturi.

When I met his eyes, there was little welcome to them, little joy at our reunion. He pled with me, pled to keep me refusing their offers no matter what.

Someone female touched Aro's hand quickly but I registered this with my periphial vision. I only had eyes for Edward. He would have spoken except that there was a hand over his mouth. His eyes told me that he was sorry for all the lies over the week he was missing. His eyes told me that what I thought was over was just beggining with these goons. His eyes told me everything but their monologue was interupted by Chelsea swiftly walking over to Aro's side.

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**The more you review, the faster I update. Also, don't be afraid to give me brutally honest ciritcism. I can handle it, ask anyone**


	4. Chapter 4

**AroPOV**

Chelsea walked fluidly toward my side, something unknown flickering in her eyes. She touched my hand and her confusion filled my brain as well. Images of the last few moments swirled in my head, too fast for anyone less experienced than me to understand. The pictures and memories from my guardsman twisted with strands and threads of emotional ties rather than physical appearances. I saw Clara, her one tie to the earth, the one of physically being on the earth, turning into two, as her eyes settled on Edward. The new strand wasn't a real strand, more of a ghost of a strand. Nothing for me to work with. Nothing for me to use as a binding to our cause.

I thought through Clara's new tie, knowing that I could not touch her. I tried to find the tie's origins in the hopes of making the tie strong so it would be useful. I knew that all feelings fled from her heart after her husband passed away. Chelsea let go, but her memories lingered as I shifted through them. Clara still held very little emotion on her face, though her eyes were still turned to Edward. He was looking at Bella, pained to see her pinned down in her own surprise.

I began to speak. "Caius, I would like you to proceed with your...methods." I didn't enjoy his methods, but they gave me results. They brought me the people I needed.

Today was going to be tricky. We would not be able to break the bonds that held Bella from us. We would have to threaten her a lot more than this one time to get her to obey. Even if we could get around her shield, her bond would be too strong. Caius had already thought through this, and acted using his knowledge. Though ruthless and merciless, Caius was smart and determined. He already had someone grounding Bella to where she stood, and another holding her head up to watch Edward. He already had Jane inching close to them and Renata stepping very close to Edward, carressing his cheek gently, and circling him like a seducing predator. He shuddered, trying to pull away, but without any luck.

Caius had already planned his torture. He would start simply. He started with Renata, having her use temptress eyes and swaying motions. Edward didn't seemed swayed, the rhythm of her hips doing nothing to his lust except, perhaps, lowering it. It was almost comical, the way Edward's face puckered in dislike as if he were going to throw-up. But this seduction wasn't the plan, this wasn't what was supposed to hurt Edward, but Bella.

I saw her squirm now, unhappy with somone being so close and that someone being so beautiful. Jane, stanging in a close corner, posed threat with her power, a power that she had been training. Edward knew this, so he did not shrug away from Renata as she leaned and pressed herself even closer. He knew that Bella would suffer more if Edward were in physical pain. Jane stood waiting for Edward to make the wrong move, to push Renata away or to look towards Bella.

Now Renata was in kissing distance from him. She didn't lean in, but very distinctly licked her lips and pressed her legs to his. He let out a long breath but in disgust, repulsed by the proximity, not wanting Jane to make a move on him. He understood that Renata's shield would counter Bella's shield, leaving him exposed to Jane, leaving Bella exposed to watch his agony.


	5. Chapter 5

**EPOV**

Renata's proximity instantly repulsed. My whole form naturally coiled away from her smell…her touch. I desperately looked over at Bella, already afraid of the pain in her eyes.

She wasn't looking at me. She was looking around the room, putting together their plan, seeing their true malevolence for the first time. She could see what they planned to do. Put Edward in an awkward situation and torture him if he resists. It was simple and would work. Bella immediately pressed her shield away from herself attempting to help me, but it backfired and came in contact with Renata's shield, effectively making both their powers useless.

I could hear Bella's thoughts now, clear as a bell, though the sudden ability did not make me feel relieved or happy in any way. I could see the way her mind was curled protectively around me, strung with pain and conflict. I could hear the anxiety only found in someone who could not hide. Yet with all the unmasked worry she had for me, and her hidden jealousy of Renata, I could not feel joy or love towards her. I could only plea that she remains strong enough to continue refusing the position on the guard.

I also, with a small part of my brain, registered Chelsea gasp when Bella's ties were revealed to her, and the second gasp in her mind when she felt how strong Bella was attached to me. She further registered Renata's ties, and used them so Renata felt closer to me, letting her automatically draw closer and like the closeness we already had.

Now she moved her lips towards mine, pressing as much of her as she could to me. My body screamed to move away, to press my hands to her shoulders and push her off of me, then to take a shower. My mind screamed at me to stay put so not to hurt an already hurting Bella. I couldn't help but squirm in Felix's constricting arms, my body winning. Her lips crushed to mine, hard and demanding. I tried to keep my face still, though my body tried to put as much distance from her as possible. She did not like my reluctance and she grabbed onto my hair, ordering attention.

Bella felt a wave of possessiveness at the new hands in my hair. Her brain conjured all the times she had threaded her fingers into my bronzy strands, feeling the silkiness, feeling the smoothness. She thought of it as a river on the surface of the sun, sprinkled in copper. She remembered the soft and tingly, like the grass in our meadow, feel of my hair on her hands and the way it kept my face to hers, my lips to her…

Renata was forceful as she pried my lips, unwilling and un-wanting, open. I closed my teeth automatically, not wanting to taste anymore of her, not wanting to hurt Bella.

Finally she registered my obvious unwillingness and moved her lips down my throat, a way for her to taste me, for me to feel her. My body jerked away from that, as if someone had tazered me. I heard Jane's smug thoughts before I felt the pain. It was excruciating, someone taking their tazer, setting it to deadly and whipping across my body then calling his 50 friends and having them do the same thing. The tazers knocked me to my knees easily and taunted me with their rhythmatic beatings. The tazers knocked into my bones and detached my limbs from the tendons, then beat on the new, exposed flesh. What was worse was Bella in my peripheral vision, wide eyed and pained, and Bella's thoughts, angered, wounded, restless, hating, and marred. And worse yet was that this was just the beginning.

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**I would be sorry about the shortness of this chapter but no one seems to care so I'm not sorry. Review if you care.**


	6. Chapter 6

**BPOV**

He fell to his knees. I could see the pain flow into his mind and push its way through his whole body, forcing him to the ground. I could see Jane sending the waves at him, a smirk twisting her features to look like a predator cat. I could see him writhe in pain on the stone ground, could see the veins in him repond indifferently but the veins in his mind pulse. I could even hear my own cries, and I could tell that they wouldn't stop till Jane stopped. Caius snapped his fingers at Jane.

He got up and looked at me, pleading to me to stand my ground, telling me it wasn't so bad. I tried to believe him.

I swallowed my excess of venom and looked straight into the milky red eyes of Caius and shook my head. I couldn't give in. I would not give in, for Edward. He smirked, and called his team closer to him.

His "torture team" consisted of Jane, Clara, all four muscle goons, a human carrying a box of what looked like weapons, and a few other vampires possibly with minor powers only used in these situations. Felix grabbed Edward again and shoved him towards an X on the wall. A goon got out some sort of whip, but it was made of a rotting white substance. My reaction to the whip was not the right one, because Edward gasped, his eyes widening, while i didn't even flinch.

"'I'm sure, Bella, that you've never encountered werewolf bones before, am I right?" I looked at Caius who was toying with the white stuff while he talked. "The reason those animals are so strong is because their bones are impenetrable but easily molded. We have hear some human weapon designs made of werewolf bone matter. We are going to demonstrate it to you."

I let out a small cry and Caius halted the whipper. He looked at me with hope that i would stay stubborn, that he could hurt Edward more. My cry alerted Aro too and he wandered over hopeful that i would be done with the pain. They saw my blind stubborn face and looked back at the whipper to continue.

Each whip cut me too, as it came down onto his back. He lay on the floor now, helpless, his body rigid with pain, my body paralyzed with shock and hurt. 20 times. 30 times. 50. Suddenly the whip uncontrollably flew and hit the big oaf in the face, marking him. Edward looked up, I looked down at him and Caius looked at Clara. It wasn't accusatory, it was inquiring, intrigue. She looked back, totally dead. But for only a moment, her eyes flickered to Edward. He stared back, and then her eyes left his. I could tell there was some kind of exchange, but I was more worried as the whip came back down, reddening his already raw skin.

With each whip there was a cracking of bone on bone, a flash of white movement and another crack as the bone opened up the skin in a distinct red line on Edward's back. There were small moans with each crack from him and a tensing in his body as he felt the wind of the next whip coming. You could hear my intake of breath as it cut the flesh of Edward's back. Then the whipping stopped suddenly, cutting of the rythm of the cracking noise, and Caius pulled out a hot branding iron.

I could hear the sizzle of the flames as it mixed with the bone marrow. Some bluish smoke rose from the white stick. I could smell the smoke, the flames, and the fear in Edward. The small Volturi symbol embedded behind Edward's ear seemed to throb and flash, drawing attention to when Edward had already endured this. I could feel the fear in myself as Caius approached him with the blue smoke and the glaring red bones.

Edward's jaw was taught and tense. He was trying to hide the pain from me, hide the fear. I could hear the tearing and sizzling of flame on skin and see the imprint on his neck, then again on his shoulders, then again on his collar. Then i could hear his cry of pain, a small shudder in his body, the air hissing up his throat. I could see the muscles in his arm try to pry himself off his restraints. I could see his pain, and it pained me.

He looked up at me again, and though his pain was unhidden in his eyes, there was also him trying to convince me that he could handle it, that it could be worse. I didn't believe him, not for a second.


	7. Chapter 7

**Clara'sPOV**

I could always count on a constant in my life, that cold feeling in all my limbs, binding me to this earth. I could always count on a numbness to weigh me down and keep me grounded, remind me that i physically was still here, still enduring the pain. There was no longer short spasms of pain caused by grief, the ones that felt like someone was taking a needle to every nerve in my body and injecting me with cold water. And there were no more halucinations, watching him die in front of my eyes over and over like there was before. That was more like purgatory, letting life happen to me. That was easy, being able to count on constants in my life, or somewhat easy.

But with each whip cut, with each branding iron that marked his skin, something else happened. With Edward's pain, there was other spasms, completely unfamiliar to me because i had been numb for so long. Every time i saw him, saw his blackened eyes and purple bruises, i could feel some heat coming back into my body, like when your fingers freeze and you flex them and some blood flows back to them. And i was flexing all over, feeling coming back to my body. It wasn't a good feeling, because i saw that it let in emotions, making me vulnerable, but i couldn't stop them. All of his pain hurt me too.

And her screams didn't help, her agony at his pain, her undying love. Even without having felt that myself since Isaac died, i wasn't blind to it. The way they looked at eachother, the way their attraction was almost tangible. And the way that each of her screams had him pleading to me through our minds, connected because we are sibilings. And i couldn't do anything, because if i used my power, the Volturi would never let me die. They would keep me alive forever, with them.


End file.
